


Woken In The Night

by coolbreezemage



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Huddling For Warmth, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:29:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28962480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coolbreezemage/pseuds/coolbreezemage
Summary: The boy beside her is shivering. Not with cold, though it is very cold this late in the year. No, she knows this, she’s seen it all too often, though rarely so close. Few fighters make it through years of combat without also seeing it in their dreams.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 3
Kudos: 49





	Woken In The Night

She wakes. She doesn’t know why, which is strange because her instincts would have told her what was wrong. Would have warned her of an attack so she could charge out of her tent sword drawn and ready to fight. 

But there’s no invasion, no attack, not even a curious animal sniffing around their campfire for dropped food.

She lifts her head from the warm blankets, blinking her eyes clear, searching in the darkness for what it is that disturbed her. Her instinct guides her attention inside, not outside.

The boy beside her is shivering. Not with cold, though it is very cold this late in the year. No, she knows this, she’s seen it all too often, though rarely so close. Few fighters make it through years of combat without also seeing it in their dreams. 

Somehow she can’t bring herself to give him the usual remedy, which is a foot to the shoulder or a cup of water to the face. Maybe she’s going soft.

He shudders, one fist tightening in the blankets, gasps something she can’t quite hear.

She sighs, and calls his name, makes it an order. “Dimitri.” 

He jerks awake, reaching for a blade that isn’t there. Sense comes into his frightened, angry face, and he seems to sag in relief at the sight of her.

He buries his head in his scarred hands. “Professor. Forgive me. I’ve disturbed your rest.”

It's strange to see him dressed in worn underclothes and not in armor. Eyes tired instead of wary. Though the shame in them is not something new to her. 

There’s no use arguing with it. He’d find a way to heap more guilt upon himself no matter what she says. 

He’s still shivering.

“Come here.” She holds her blanket open for him. “We can double up the blankets and move closer to the fire.”

He hesitates, averting his eyes. “Professor, I couldn’t possibly-“

She sighs. These noble boys call themselves warriors but don’t know a thing about practicality. “We’re both cold, it’s late, and we need sleep. It’s perfectly sensible. Come here.”

He nods jerkily, like a dropped puppet, and creeps forward, too slowly, with absolutely no idea where to put his hands. 

He’s still treating her like she’s delicate and liable to break. Hordes of bandits and mighty Demonic Beasts haven’t managed it. There’s no way he could. So she pulls him against her and tucks the blanket around them both.

“Good,“ she says, and it turns out that’s the answer, that’s all it takes for him to breathe again.

Slowly, slowly, the shivering subsides, and he all but melts against her. He must be far more exhausted than he’s let show with how quickly he’s asleep again.

Good. Let him sleep. He sorely needs it after the past few weeks.

She decides not to think about how good it feels to be here in his arms. 

When they wake again, it’s morning, and there’s a space between them again. Byleth doesn’t know whether Dimitri rolled away from her in his sleep, or pulled away as soon as he was conscious enough to decide it was inappropriate, but she has her suspicions.

If it’s what he needs, she’ll let it be gladly. But if it’s some misguided idea of proprietary getting in the way of practicality or comfort, she won’t allow that. 

They’ll figure it out eventually, she’ll make sure of that. 


End file.
